Pontoon-bridge and other army equipment combined.



v F. FREDEEN. PoNTooN BRIDGE AND OTHER ARMY EQUIPMENE COMBINED.

APPL'ICATION FILED NOV. 5191?.

Patented Sept. 17, 1918.

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F. FREDEEN.

PONTOON BRIDGE AND OTHER ARMY EQUIPMENT COMBINED.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 5.1.91?.

Patented Sept, 17,1918.

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PONTOON BRIDGE AND OTHER ARMY EQUIPMENT CGMBINED. APPL|cATloN FILED Nov. 5. '1917.

1 ,27 9,097 Patented Sept. 17, 1918.

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FRANK FREDEEN, 0F TAYLORS FALLS, MINNESOTA.

PONTOON-BRIDGE .AND OTHER ARMY EQUIPMENT COMBINED.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FILANK FREDEEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Taylors Falls, in the county of Chisago and State of Minnesota, have invented a-new and useful Pontoon-Bridge and other Army Equipment. Combined, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates towwar appliances and the main object is to providea device that isconvertible into various forms and thereby'applicable for various purposes in the movement and operation of an army, as will hereinafter be fully described.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a pontoonv bridge formed out of the main parts ofthe device. Fig. 2 is a'plan viewof'Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of one of the sections of the bridge in the position it is used asa 'portable bullet shield for infantry. Fig. 4- Y is an elevation of Fig. 3 looking towardthe leftwith the rifles omitted'and a portion of a second section of the bridge shown as se-` cured to one edge of the full section. It

also shows yhow the device may move on a railway track. Fig. 5 is a detail end elevation ofthe drum-shaped wheel supporting- Y each section of thebridge. Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal section of the drum in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a detail side view of axmodification of the support 27-28 in Fig. 3. Fig. 8

is an edge `view of' Fig. -7 Fig. 9 is an enlarged section on the line 9-.9 in Fig. 3 with the wheel'12 intact, and showing the ladder 20 in a horizontal position. Fig. 10 is an end view of twol bridge sections aboutto-be secured together edge to edge.- Fig. 11 shows Y the sections in Fig.v 10 securedtogether.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentarytop view of a portion of a bridge section showing how thev laddersvaresecured to serve'as railings uponVv the same. Fig. 13 represents ahose used for conveying oil or other liquid intoV and out of the drum-shaped wheels.l Fig. 14 is a side elevation of two bridge sections secured together with their inclinedpositions. Fig. 15 shows how ladders or bridge'rail sections may be bolted together when a long ladder -isirequired Fig. 16shows two ladders orl sections of the bridge railing so bolted together that they form a step ladder.l Figli?? is a detail top view of the bar 15 .,inaFig. 3.- Fig. 18`is a section on the line 18e-18 in'Fig. i2.. 'Fig.

19 is an end View of portionsfof'twofuntsf platforms in. reversely Specification of Letters Patent. f Ptnted Sept-17, 191:8, Application filed November 5, 1917. Serial No. 200,227.

joined together edgewise and showing some Y modifications.

Referring to the drawingsby reference Y l numerals, the device as a whole is composed of several units or similar sections which are securable together into a pontoon brldge as shewnin Figs. 1 and 2 or may be otherwise and alower row Vofholes 4 and 5 respec- 1 tively, and the vbodyyof theplatform is pro.

videdy with several rows .ofapertures 6 for pointing riiies 7. therethrough; as shown in Figs. 4 and 3 when the platform is raised at anincline to serve asra bullet deflector.

Secured underneath the front end ofreach platform 1 is a frame consisting of a trans-f verse bar 8.(see Figs. 10 vand 11) having at each end' axleg 9, steadiedby4 a brace 1() (see Fig. 3). In said legs arejournaled the ends of a shaft 11 of a drum-shaped wheel 12, whichV wheel isprovided withperpheral v ridges 13 and 14,:of` which those 13 serve as guiding anges along the'rails'l ofa railway when there is arailway track available for transportation of the device :(see

Fig. 4 in which H16 designates a railway'V tie).

Journaled upon the shaft lare also the f arms17 of a bail-.shaped frame 18, the mid-.

dle portion of which is formed with two shoulders -19 (see Fig. 9.), to whichmay readily be -detachably bolted at 19a one end` of a ladder 20. 'The' middle of the bail is extended rearwardly'fand formed into a journal vbearing 21.1.for the stem 22 ofV a caster 23. To thetop of saidstem-is .de

tachably pivoted at 24 one end of a crowbar lorfsteering pole 25 .(bestshown inf,

Pivoted at.2.6.fo`rward ofthe journalybearing 21 is the lower end of a-supporting post made up lof two telescoping sections 27 and 28. The top vof said post'is pivoted at 29 in the central longitudinal groove formed-by the ridge 2 of the platform 1, which platform is thus supported by'the post in an adjustable manner since the upper-section.

of the-post .mayy be raised and `lowered in i the lower section 27 and securedv in the desiredfposition'by a pin .30 in-thelower section` anda'iseries of holes 31 for it Vin-the cation in Figs. 7 and 8 is` shown how said sections may be constructed with a rack 32 on the upper section and a cogeW-hee'l 33011 a shaft 34 in thelower section; said -shaft having a hand-crank 'by'wvhicli to turn it anda ratchet wheel 36, engaged by a dog 37, 'so't'hat Where the platform is of'a heavy type it may be raised by such mechanism', While for a light type of the device the form of postshovvn in Fig.l 3 will 'answerp VEach drum 12 has its ends reinforced byV spiders 38, and" one end of' each drum is provided with a screw plug 39 screwed into a fixed threaded collar 40.. This is toenable the'wheels to serve ascarfrier's for'gasol'ene or other oils used for different purposes, or

forV carry-ing.Waterin cross-ing deserts or Vdangerousterritory Where the enemy may.,- have poisoned the springs; and Wells... In

Fig. 13 is shown a hose 41, which may have its end 42 cou-pled to collar 4d ofv 'the wheel' and from its' ends 1431-44 ldeliver Water or oil. to' several auto/trucks or other engines 'at onetime, whenV lthe -Wheel is turned With the collar 40 to a 'low poi-na@ as in Fig. k3." For `filliiigof the Wheel the same iis turned with the collar 40 to 'a higher position, as in Fig. 5',A and a l'rose or; suitable fun-nel employed.

laddersf() may be secured together bolts.

45, in' Figs. 1 1.2 ispartly shown how the ladders may be secured to the rims 3 ofthe platforms by liookfbolts'.46. passed through the rims and engaging-therufngs' ofthe laddersi 1 further describing the operation 'or-inse of the device, it Will be seen Figs. 1 and :by boltsY 47 in. 'some df they upper holes 4 ofl` the. lovver section andlin the lower `holes 5v- 2 that 'any required .number of .these units may be used for a pontoon bridge, the Wheels 12'serv'iinfg as floats and the platforms 1' being- 'partly overlapped and secured together of the upper section.. Said.' holes'bei'ng thus arranged in upper and lower roNvs-,the sec- V tions are interchangeable so: either one may Y bei under'. orover the next one. And 1f a short butbroad bridge-is desired tivo: or

more .rows of theseunits may; be placed'side by side across `thewater and' preferably bolted together by inserting bolts through, their-adjacent rims. 3* a'sfindicated' by the bolts 48. in. 4. 'In the-latter view it is 4. also shown-i that 'when the platforms are.

thus!v bolted together'for'use: -ei'ther on Water? Orlandi,- the frames 81^a`lso have/.their adja-V lcent legs' 9' securedltogether byqboltsy 49'.

This is also clearly`= shown Figs. 150 and 11 Where said' bolts are preferably standing boltsk secured on'e in' each: legl and' each leg has a hole; '59E for the standing bolt 9E ofthe 'adjoining legf to enter intoi; this .isto`I` make theifit-'eitherside Vof each: other.. In

suehimanner two .or more besef cured side by side in moving oversinooth ground orthey may be connected to move 'after each other, especially Where tracks 15 are available, and if theground is partly uneven or soft or Where Vtrenches are to be Crossed the ladders 20 are used as track rails. i

A further service of the ladders istousethem aspushbarsfor the soldiers to take hold of in pushing or pulling and turning Aeach unit separately-in. Which-case the lad-l der is pivotallyconnected fat 19aas sta-ted andV shownj in Figs. 3 and 4, Where it ispartly raised to avoid obstructing the. view of the `parts shown below it. Saidllower parts indicate in dottedvlinehovvthe bar 25 may be attached by a pin 51 in the front of the ridge 2 of the next unit'ivhen several units are hauledby anyA kind o'f'p'ovver over the field While connectedup lin the shortest, Y

F ig. 14.4 Staid' bar also serves pushing and steering bar operated by themen When the ladder has beenv removed from the bail:

so as: to serve either as traekonfthe ground f During suchl transportation l or as a step ladder, as shown in. Fig; 16, or v fory getting in and out of deep trenches, or.'

for scaling the wal-lsf' efforts, or for -hnilding an observation ytower out of a series of; them by bolting them together either Aholdil'ig the struoturefupright or arranging it; in' an ift-shape, similar to that shown in Fig: 16. VilVf'herr the bar'2'5 is not inf use for other pnrposes itrnay v be detached and used as' acroW-bar..

Thefixed collars *1401i the drum-s, Wheels Y yor floats,- are partlyfto stiii'en the sheet metal and vpartly-toract as' guiding flanges along the ladderswlfren the latternare used Vas track;

over soft osu-neven ground.

Dua'iag a Aretreat the; barff25- 1n comesv a pole yby `which the. uni-t 1s 1 drawn rearwardly with thefguns 'facing theenemyr If' there be an attack from twoopposite di# rections', tvvo uni'fts are arranged the Way shown inFig: 14, so-as to face inopposite. directionsyand may; beso connected-by one; of theV ladders 20?., This'arrangement. ofA the units also makes-a shelter' for the soldiers against. hail', snovxa, 'rain or dropping shells or fragments of bursting shells.` eitherover open field or over trenches, which may: leeY covered byl these either inxthefposition shown iii-Fig. 14. or that shown'in Fig; 2,., Itis also-.understood that any tWoorTv more unitsv may be 'secured' togetherand used asf.' a raft', and that the'platformsy mayA be more or; less: overlapped. in longitudinal direction according .tothe Weight they are to carry x v13o wherigsecured together:

In the ordinary construction so far described, although the fianges 3 are inclined they will not allow .the overlapping body of the upper platform to contact with the body of the lower platform. For said reason the lower platform is provided with transverse cleats 52 supporting the upper platform, and the latter has its end edge 53 formed into an inclined cleat bearin upon the lower platform. Preferably said c eats are formed in the plates by drawing dies, though they may also be made of wood or iron and secured to the platforms.

In the modification in Fi 19 the plates or platforms l", are stiifene by longitudinal corrugations all over their bodies, and are secured to the frames 8 by rivets 54. In said modification when the units are secured together edgewise their adjoining flanges 8* fit face to face and are secured by bolts 48 having nuts 48X; or 48 may be a machine screw threaded into the lower plate. In this modification each ladder 20 has its main bars 20X (see Fig. 19)' corrugated longitudinally, or formed with a V-shaped edge so as to fit upon the corrugated platform, to which they are secured by suitable bolts 46X. The function of the adjustable post 27-28 is to sup ort the platform 1 at any desired angle see Fig. 3),V

especially when approaching anfenemy.

It is obvious that several of the features described may be considerably changed or modified without diverging from the spirit and scope of this invention as defined by the claims.

What I claim is l. A war appliance composed' of several similar units adapted to be connected together and means for connecting them together, each unit comprising a platform with a frame fixed under the front end of it, a hollow wheel having journals rotatable in said frame, a bail-shaped frame having its legs journaled on -said wheel journals and at its middle portlon a rearwardly directed arm with a bearing on it, a caster having its stem journaled in said bearing, and an eXtensible post pivoted with its lower end to said rearward arm and its upper end to the platform.

2. The structure specified in claim 1 together with means for extending and for holding extended the post, whereby the platform may be, inclined.

3. The structure specified in claim 2 together with a bar detachably pivoted with one end vto the upper end of the stem of the caster and having its other end provided with means for attaching it to one end of an adjoining unit.

4. The structure specified in claim 1, said platform being formed with longitudinal corrugations to stiifen it'.

5. The structure specified in claim 1, said platform being formed along its middle with an upward ridge to stien it and with upward flanges along its edges to stiifen it, said flanges having upper and lower rows of holes, bolts adapted for insertion in said holes for securing several yplatforms edgewise or endwise together as may bedesired.

6. The structure specified in claim 1,

said platform being formed along its middle with an upward ridge to stiifen it and with upward flanges along its edges to stiffen it, said fianges having rows of holes,

bolts adapted for insertion in said holes i for securing several platforms edgewise or endwise together as maybe desired, and railings detachably secured .along the edges of the platforms and so constructed that they may be used as ladders when detached from the platforms.

7. The structure described in claim 6 together with means for securing said ladders each with one end to the rear portion of one of the bail-shaped frames, and means for securing the ladders together lengthwise 1 and also at various angles to each other when so required.

In testlmony whereof I affix my signature.

FRANK FREDEEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, I). C. 

